Crime & Royalty
by aRiia
Summary: Prince Jonas falls for a young Kyrrian girl. Her innocence, beauty and intelligence attracts him but...is Alisha really as innocent as she seems? The story of a woman with a mysterious past and a secret street society of a corrupt kingdom. Rate
1. Chapter 1

ONE

_I lay here, as the wind blows mockingly, the rain lashes furiously and thunder roars angrily. _

_A snowflake floats down near my face and my eyes follow it to where it lands softly. _

_It lands in a puddle of blood and dissolves into the red liquid._

_With the fingertips of my broken hand, I can feel its warmth and thickness._

_I will myself to get up and walk away._

_My body does not obey my command, my cry, my desperate plead._

_With blurry vision, my eyes look around to seek help._

_I can feel it slowly,_

_Just like the blood from my chest,_

_My time is trickling away,_

_Slowly,_

_My life is ending,_

_Slowly_

_All around me, men fight, _

_Brothers kill and are killed._

_Little by little, my breath slows,_

_My vision falters,_

_My eyelids close,_

_And as my breath dies, _

_A last thought flickers into my mind._

_I will not be able to keep my promise. _

_Forgive me_

_Forget me_


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"Oh Alexander! Is it really necessary for him to leave? I am sure there is much he can learn here within the palace"

"My dear Victoria, it is custom and tradition that at age eighteen, the Prince of Ayortha must live in Kyrria for a period of time. Just as the Prince of Kyrria must stay with us for awhile. You know this as well as I do. Do not fret my queen."

The Prince observed the King and Queen from a distance. His mother was worrying too much about his wellbeing. He was already packed and ready to depart next light. And plus…his purpose for leaving was not only because of tradition. He was on an important mission.

"But…it has been only two months since he has returned. You do not understand how a mother misses her child, how she always thinks about where he is, what he is doing. For the past year I have been wondering whether my son is hurt, whether he is safe, whether God has taken his breath."

As the Queen spoke the Prince could see tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mother," the Prince spoke for the first time. "Now you know that I am alive and well. I am not a child anymore and I am ready to depart as soon as possible."

"But you have not fully recovered yet," his mother protested knowing she was losing the argument.

The prince looked his mother in the eye. With a soft but strong whisper he merely said, "That which does not kill me can only make me stronger."

King Alexander turned his head ever so slowly away from his son and wife and looked out the window. With a faraway look in his eyes, he whispered so quietly that the Prince had to strain his ears to hear. "Yes. My son is growing up."

He turned to walk away but not before the Prince got a glimpse of an odd look in his father's eyes.

The Prince excused himself and left his mother standing all alone in the middle of the chamber.

* * *

The Prince did not sleep peacefully that night, just as he hadn't done so for the past year. Many thoughts ran in his mind. He knew he was back but not completely. He had lost a part of himself, the year he had been away. Some of his companions had lost an arm, a leg and some, had even lost their lives and will to live. 

Images flickered in the Prince's mind. Running. Panting. Stumbling. A man lay underneath his feet. He looked down. Ice blue eyes started up at his. Short raspy breaths. He looked up. A woman was hanging from a tree. Dark hair covering her face. The last vision in the Prince's head was that of a man. Pleading, begging, for his life, for his soul.

* * *

As Agatha walked into the room, she realized something was different. She limped over to the lavender bed in the corner of the dark bedroom, hand on her weak back and pulled the blankets.

"Just as I thought," she said to herself.

Agatha went over to the window and drew the curtains. She looked around her eyes searching. She saw what she had expected to see in the fields.

"Poor girl," Agatha sighed sadly. "So much suffering."

With a sad look in her eyes, Agatha walked out of the room. Before closing the door, she glanced over to the window once more. Blue shawl draped over her slender body, a girl sat on a boulder staring out at the setting sun.

Agatha slowly closed the door and made her way out to the grassy fields.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

Kyrria was different. Different from Ayortha; the people, the lifestyle, the language. That wasn't quite it though. There was something else.

"Announcing the arrival of Prince Jonas of Ayortha, son of King Alexander Peterian and Queen Victoria of Ayortha."

Distracted from his thoughts, the Prince looked around to see the gates of the palace opening. The doors opened to a magical pathway with a garden of flowers surrounding it. The pathway was a sky-blue carpet along the middle of the green enclosure. It ran from his feet to the feet of the King of Kyrria. All around him people were cheering loudly and those who were not observed the Prince with friendly smiles. Prince Jonas walked confidently towards the King and bowed.

"Thank you for having me Your Highness, and I hope I am not much trouble to your kingdom,"

King Robert looked the young Prince who was little older than his son in the eye. The next thing the Prince knew, he was in the King's embrace. It was warm and comforting and for a few moments, the Prince forgot all his worries. King Robert broke the embrace and with his booming voice said to the young Prince of Ayortha, "Welcome to my home."

A voice shouted out from the crowd. "OUR home, Your Majesty."

With a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye, the King replied, "Welcome to our home Prince Jonas." King Robert looked away from the Prince. "We have a busy day ahead of us, so let us get to it shall we." Slowly the crowd of servants disappeared until only a few remained. The King turned towards a young and friendly looking maid and said to her, "Please show the prince to his chambers so he can start settling down."

"Yes Your Majesty, right away." With a graceful curtsy and a smile she said to Prince Jonas. "Follow me,"

With a quick bow to the King, Prince Jonas followed the young girl into the corridor and up the strairs.

"It's beautiful here," she said cheerfully. "In the morning your chambers will be absolutely enchanting. I used to work for the Count and every morning, the house would be drenched with golden sunlight. The-"

"You worked for the Count?" Not waiting for an answer, Prince Jonas asked, "How is his son doing? Christopher?"

"Lord Christopher Lucansan. Ah, he hates that name. Lord Chris is doing fine, from what I last heard. As mischievous as ever. He'll be attending the feast tonight, I suppose."

"Feast?" Prince Jonas questioned the maid. "What feast?"

"The feast we're holding in your honor of course. All the wealthy will be there. Counts, countesses, lords, duchess, duchesses. The whole lot of them. Ah, here we are." The maid stopped talking when they reached an elegant wooden door on the second corridor to the right of the staircase. "This is your chamber Your Highness."

"Call me Jonas. Thank you…"

"Clarissa. It's Clarissa. If you need anything, just ask for me and I'll be here in a jiffy."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you very much Clarissa."

With a smile and a curtsy, Clarissa walked away.

Prince Jonas strode into his chamber and looked around. As he was unpacking his belongings, he felt a warm feeling inside. He had done something today, he had never done before. He had had a normal conversation with a servant. Back home, royalty never spoke to maids and such. The Prince thought about the manner in which King Robert talked to his servants. At the thought of the King, a single thought ran in his mind,_ I've never been embraced by my father._

Prince Jonas realized the difference between Kyrria and Ayortha.

"Happiness," he whispered softly. "True and genuine happiness."

* * *

Author's Note: i KNOOWWW,,,they're really short the chapters. Longer chapters coming up...promise. I need at least 15 reviews until i publish the next chapter. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Alisha dear," Agatha said softly. "You haven't touched your breakfast."

Alisha stared at the plate of food in front of her. "I'm not in the mood mother. I have no appetite today."

"How long are you going to go on like this for?" Agatha looked into Alisha's eyes that refused to look back. "Cry when you're sad. When the tears are gone, life will move on. You're still going to have to live life. Face it."

Alisha lowered her eyes knowing her mother was speaking the truth. "I just…it doesn't…I can't believe he's gone. Just like that. One day he was here and the next…" Her voice trailed off. With a shake of her head, she whispered quietly, "He made me a promise. He said he'd never…he wont break it…I just know it…broken promises are merely lies…wouldn't lie to me…West wouldn't ever…he wouldn't leave me."

She looked at her mother. She was such a strong woman, so confident, ready to take on the challenges in life. Alisha sometimes thought she was like that too. As a child, she couldn't stop the tears. She had seen too much. Now it was different. When she felt unhappy, she couldn't help making others miserable along with her. Misery seeks company.

"When your father…disappeared," Agatha said the last word hesitantly. "Do you think if I cried day and night and if I didn't put myself together, do you really think we would be here today? Living life the way we are. Face your fears. The truth is bitter and cold, but you have to live with it. You're not a child anymore. You're a young woman now, so start acting it. West is dead and he's not coming back."

Alisha was angered by her mother's comment. How dare she utter those words!

"No Mother, you face the truth first," Agatha was taken aback "Father didn't disappear. He merely left us. He left his loving wife and helpless ten year old daughter to struggle. For seven long years! I know you haven't slept peacefully. For seven long years, you've held back the tears. For seven long, you've worked harder than a man to support your daughter and yourself. For seven long years we've had to go through so much to keep food on the table. And still… after these seven bloody years, here we are, struggling and suffering."

Alisha paused for a moment. The silence was deafening. "Where is my father?" she looked up, yelling at the skies. "Where is the man who never gave a second thought to the woman he married, the child he abandoned, and the home he shattered? Where is he? You see mother? He's not there! He NEVER was there for me. Father…where are you? Please…"

Alisha blinked back the tears stinging her eyes. "Just give me a sign that you're out there, missing us even the slightest bit. Give me the reason you left us so alone and devastated. Why did u leave us drowning in our own tears? Please…come back to us. I miss you…"

Salty tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked back at her mother with a broken smile. "He's not there; he won't even listen to me for a moment. Still the same…has no time for his daughter. Face the truth Mother. Your husband didn't just disappear. He left us because he didn't care about us. You see Mother? West wouldn't leave me. Because he made a promise. He promised I wouldn't have to endure that all over again. I faced the truth about my Father a long time ago. Maybe now it's your turn to do the same."

Agatha watched her daughter leave the little kitchen. She felt so worn out. She was so tired. Tired of everything. Her head hurt and her heart ached.

Did she really think so badly of her father?

-

When Jonas woke up in the morning, his head ached severely. At first he didn't realize where he was or why his head was aching. It took him a moment to remember the last night's events. As the memories came back to him, he groaned loudly.

That golden haired girl. What was her name? Elizabeth. Gold hair and blue eyes. She was quite eye-catching, with her nice smile. The only thing that tainted her beauty was the fact that she was as dumb as a donkey. All she had talked about was how wealthy her father was and how many people had asked for her hand. Jonas just wanted to shut her up and stuff her mouth with a chunk of his apple tart. Her sickening giggle when he said something, the way she clung to his arm. Argh! It made him nauseous.

Worst of all Christopher hadn't even shown up. Looking forward to seeing his friend had been the highlight of his evening. Apparently, he hadn't returned from one of his regular trips to Ayortha.

"Head aching Prince Jonas?" He hadn't noticed Clarissa walking into the room.

"Oh, I didn't notice you there. Yes, had too much to drink. Everybody was requesting to drink a cup with the Prince of Ayortha." Jonas made a face. "Depressing night it was."

Clarissa chuckled. "Ah, I don't blame you. That Lady Elizabeth could drive any man with his head on right, mad out of his mind. I don't understand how our own Prince Carlton seems to be attracted to her though."

Jonas' eyes widened in astonishment. "He's attracted to that airhead? Ha! Well that just made my day."

Clarissa smiled. "Well, you could also take a walk. Beautiful weather for meeting some people."

"Good suggestion." The prince needed to get out of the palace for a bit. "I could use the fresh air."

"If you feel hungry while you're out, be sure to stop by at Agatha's Bakery." Clarissa said enthusiastically. "She makes the best pastries you will ever lay eyes on. Her lemon pie-"

"You seem to like her food very much," Jonas interrupted. "Care to join me?"

The enthusiasm drained from the young girl's eyes. "Forgive me but I cannot. I need to work…and besides, if you were seen with me…" Clarissa paused and blushed furiously. "My status…"

"Second day in Kyrria, what will the townspeople say if they see my all by myself. They will think nobody liked me in the palace and tried to get rid of me for a while. Come with me and if anybody says anything, I will simply tell them the truth. You are my guide."

"I'll meet you at the front gates in ten minutes then Prince Jonas."

"Alright then!" As Clarissa walked away, the prince called after her. "It's Jonas by the way."

Exactly ten minutes later, Jonas and Clarissa left the palace. She was dressed in a green dress that was simple yet attractive. She blended right in with the townspeople of Frell.

"So you are taking me to Agatha's Bakery?" Jonas asked the raven haired maiden.

"Well yes. I suppose. Agatha is a nice lady. You might not like her much at first but you'll grow to love her."

"Does she run the bakery alone?"

"No. She lives with her daughter and son-in-law. Well at least she used. Poor Alisha. She has only her mother. That lass lost everything. Father, home and all. And now…West"

"What happened?" Jonas interrupted.

"Alisha and West were engaged to be married. They loved each other dearly. Grew up together and all. Alisha had found him on the streets when she was only 11 years old. He was an orphan. Nobody knows how his parents died. Nobody knows who they were. People warned Alisha that he would be nothing but trouble and bad luck. She didn't care though. She brought her back home and her mother, Agatha, took good care of him. At first he refused to live with them. He was 13 years old at the time. Thought he was a man. Soon, he realised he needed all the help he could get. "

"And then…"

Clarissa shook her head sadly before continuing. "He went away one day about 6 months ago. To Ayortha, he had said. Nobody had any news about him. For months, Alisha waited for him. Every night, near the gates of Frell she would wait. Still nothing. Then, just two months ago, Alisha and Agatha received a letter from Alisha's close friends in Ayortha. They had finally concluded that…" Clarissa hesitated. "They had come to the conclusion that he was either captured or murdered by the king's men…"

"What?" some people nearby turned their heads towards the two. The prince had spoken louder than intended. "You're telling me that my father is a cruel and heartless murderer?" With a scoff, he added. "My father would not capture let alone kill a man who is innocent. He probably was guilty of some crime or another."

"Maybe he was, but maybe he wasn't." With a scoff she added. "King Alexander is known for his cruelty. Anyone who speaks out against him "disappears". I'm surprised you do not know of this, then again, your father is a clever man."

"The Ayorthan kingdom is not corrupt. Dare not speak ill of my father. Watch your tongue milady."

Clarissa snapped back angrily. "Not corrupt? If only you knew…Prince Jonas."

The tense conversation was interrupted by a loud shout, "Ay Jonas! Itu biwa staz?" Jonas turned to see his childhood friend riding towards them on a great stallion. Christopher got off his horse and observed Clarissa. Switching back to Kyrrian, he said jokingly. "There I was, wondering; who is this blue eyed, black haired maiden accompanying my friend? I look closer and realize that it's just plain, old Clarissa."

Clarissa shoved the handsome man playfully. "And it's nice to see you too Lord Christopher-Lucasan!"

"Ah," he cried. "I give up, don't hurt me like that. What a horrific name." Christopher made a face. "Who names their innocent child Lucasan?"

"I doubt you were ever innocent," mumbled Jonas under his breath.

"Don't think I didn't hear that!" turning his attention back to Clarissa, he held out his arm for her. "May I have the honor of walking you milady?"

Giggling Clarissa accepted his arm. "Chris, what about your horse?"

"Phantom will follow," he answered. "Did I hear right? Not Christopher but Chris, already?"

"Oh hush!" Clarissa exclaimed. "I'm not head over heels for you like those silly girls. Those girls would fall for any man because of his good looks."

"Aha!" Christopher was laughing now. "So you admit that I am handsome. I must say…you aren't so horrible looking yourself. Who would have thought that our little Issa would grow into such an enchanting lady?"

Jonas noticed that Clarissa was turning a light shade of pink. Forgetting about their argument earlier, he came to the rescue. "Isn't that Agatha's Bakery?"

"Ah yes!" Before walking into the little shop with Christopher, Clarissa looked back to give the prince a grateful look.

* * *

**Author's Note:** yeah...i didnt get 15 reviews...it's ok though. Lots more coming up and more will be revealed about the plot. Please rate and review and leave your constructive criticism.

THANK YOU TO:

**ladyoftheUNKNOWN  
CaptainFantastic**-  
**singingtelegram**  
**-xo-silver lined clouds-xo-**  
**Meldiriel Indigo Eyes**  
**Kelsey **

oohhhh by the way: HAPPY HOLIDAYS


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